Covers, screen and maps of 5e Planescape

[Millstone85]

From the preorder page (https://dndstore.wizards.com/us/product/820944/planescape-adventures-in-the-multiverse-digital-plus-physical-bundle). Click on each picture to enlarge it.

https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/55b78a1d3aa73503dcb340a8d0a210f8_495_KR.png (https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/55b78a1d3aa73503dcb340a8d0a210f8_1920_KR.png)
https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/143b05dfd00749098f9dd42d298bb388_495_KR.png (https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/143b05dfd00749098f9dd42d298bb388_1920_KR.png)
https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/994527c2958165ceabb6f1da36872da0_495_KR.png (https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/994527c2958165ceabb6f1da36872da0_1920_KR.png)

[Atranen]

Back to the 3-book format...can't say I'm excited for that. Thanks for tracking these down!

[Saelethil]

Back to the 3-book format...can't say I'm excited for that. Thanks for tracking these down!

At least they’re longer this time. And I like the idea of the 3 book set, it just feels like a waste of material for less than 100 pages each.
That being said, I’ll probably do the same as I did with Spelljamer and let this one pass as well. I’m more intrigued by the concept of Spelljamer and they flubbed that so the reviews for this are going to need to be pretty unanimously glowing for me to bother with it.

[Psyren]

I'm interested in the bundled adventure; apparently it goes level 3-10 then jumps to 17, so we'll be able to try out some of those endgame builds we've been bandying around.

No new races which is sad, apparently the Glitchling didn't make it through the UA. There will be new feats and spells though.

[KorvinStarmast]

There will be new feats and spells though.
We don't need any new spells. THere are already too many.

I am for sure going to pre order this. The party I DM for hit level 12, and Sigil seems to me to be the kind of place that they can fit into ...

[Imbalance]

If nothing else, this should yield some cool miniatures.

[Psyren]

We don't need any new spells. THere are already too many.

You misspelled "I" :smalltongue:


At least they’re longer this time. And I like the idea of the 3 book set, it just feels like a waste of material for less than 100 pages each.
That being said, I’ll probably do the same as I did with Spelljamer and let this one pass as well. I’m more intrigued by the concept of Spelljamer and they flubbed that so the reviews for this are going to need to be pretty unanimously glowing for me to bother with it.

Are there any unique mechanics to Planescape like there were with Spelljammer (i.e. ship combat?)

[Saelethil]

Are there any unique mechanics to Planescape like there were with Spelljammer (i.e. ship combat?)

Not that I'm aware of but I don't know the setting very well. I'm sure someone here or NerdImmersion will fill me in. I would love to find out that there are new mechanics (done well) but I'm not holding my breath.

[Kane0]

Are there any unique mechanics to Planescape like there were with Spelljammer (i.e. ship combat?)

Plane traits, portals & keys, seeing how much you can annoy the lady before you get mazed

[Brookshw]

Plane traits, portals & keys, seeing how much you can annoy the lady before you get mazed

There used to be a lot more special rules for different planes, like summoning on one level of a plane might go super haywire, that sorta thing. I don't expect we'll see that again. So far I can't tell what it is that's being included in the release (and why would you use spells to capture the essence of the factions?).

[Psyren]

Plane traits, portals & keys, seeing how much you can annoy the lady before you get mazed

Aren't planar portals and keys already in the DMG?

Planar traits I could kind of see, but with a lot of spells having lost descriptors I think their mechanical options might be limited. It might involve a lot of judgment calls, which sounds like a recipe for annoyance if not obliviousness.

[Kane0]

Yeah they probably are somewhere, but if we are talking expanded mechanics for the setting then a lot of extra stuff about how magic and travel operates differently is a pretty big slice of 'this isnt just generic fantasyland with a coat of paint'

Not that i expect such to actually be present.

[Millstone85]

Back to the 3-book format...can't say I'm excited for that.
I'm interested in the bundled adventureWhereas I would prefer if the adventure got eaten by the main setting book and the bestiary.

Anyway, with the page count as it is, I am happy with their apparent decision to focus on Sigil and the Outlands instead of trying to cover the Outer Planes.

[Clistenes]

Whereas I would prefer if the adventure got eaten by the main setting book and the bestiary.

Anyway, with the page count as it is, I am happy with their apparent decision to focus on Sigil and the Outlands instead of trying to cover the Outer Planes.

They will probably avoid describing the Upper Planes in too much detail in order to tiptoe around the absence of the Archons, Guardinals, old Eladrin (the Outsiders, not the Feywild Elves)...etc.

I would like if they either brought back the old Planescape setting or they created a new setting and described it in full, even if it changes everything we knew... but I will hate if they just give us a few bits and point at the old books and say "you DMs make some stuff up, we don't wanna!"

[Eldan]

They could possibly introduce/expand mechanics for faction allegiance. 2E Planescape did that, joining a faction and increasing in rank gave characters unique powers, some quite useful.

Otherwise, not that much that is unique. "Faith changes the planes" was never mechanically adapted and probably shouldn't be.

[Millstone85]

They will probably avoid describing the Upper Planes in too much detail in order to tiptoe around the absence of the Archons, Guardinals, old Eladrin (the Outsiders, not the Feywild Elves)...etc.Yes, that remains a sore spot.

I wonder if the "planar incarnates" mentioned in the description of the bestiary have anything to do with the old alignment exemplars. Or maybe petitioners.


Otherwise, not that much that is unique. "Faith changes the planes" was never mechanically adapted and probably shouldn't be.It is more a story prompt than a game mechanic but I like the bit where a gate-town can be absorbed by its portal if its population aligns too much with the plane on the other side. I would have all locations in the Outlands move toward, away from, or around the Spire depending on their inhabitants' current flavor of Lawfulish/Chaotish-Goodish/Evilish.

[Beelzebub1111]

They'll probably add feats and backgrounds related to the planescape factions. And more broken options that will make dungeon masters pull their hair out and wonder why they didn't include any of the stuff that limit players like Divine Spellcasting being limited by the distance from your deity or magic items being weaking based on difference from their plane of origin.

It's all about giving players tools to challenge DMs. Never the other way around.

[Unoriginal]

From the preorder page (https://dndstore.wizards.com/us/product/820944/planescape-adventures-in-the-multiverse-digital-plus-physical-bundle). Click on each picture to enlarge it.


Thanks for the link.

Anyone know what the being coming out of the red portal on the monster book's cover is?

[Millstone85]

Thanks for the link.

Anyone know what the being coming out of the red portal on the monster book's cover is?My first guess was a magma elemental but upon closer look (https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/71be5f0371f1a227cd567919e2d999d5_1920_KR.png) and some googling I think it might be an "eater of knowledge".

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_eater_of_knowledge_2e.png

It is a direct servant of Ilsensine and I find the new art gives the creature a more illithid-like upper face to match that concept.

The other creatures around Morte are, by order of decreasing certainty:

foreground: cranium rats.
green portal: a bariaur.
purple portal: a decaton.
background: a (time?) dragon and three pixie-like creatures (same as here (https://www.enworld.org/attachments/screenshot_20230718_122710_instagram-jpg.290401/)?).
blue portal: a spiderstone golem?

[Unoriginal]

My first guess was a magma elemental but upon closer look (https://cdn-prod.scalefast.com/public/assets/img/resized/wizardsofthecoast-dnd-beyond/71be5f0371f1a227cd567919e2d999d5_1920_KR.png) and some googling I think it might be an "eater of knowledge".

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_eater_of_knowledge_2e.png

It is a direct servant of Ilsensine and I find the new art gives the creature a more illithid-like upper face to match that concept.

The other creatures around Morte are, by order of decreasing certainty:

foreground: cranium rats.
green portal: a bariaur.
purple portal: a decaton.
background: a (time?) dragon and three pixie-like creatures (same as here (https://www.enworld.org/attachments/screenshot_20230718_122710_instagram-jpg.290401/)?).
blue portal: a spiderstone golem?


Thank you. I would say those bumblebee-fairies are def. the same creatures as in your link.

[Pixel_Kitsune]

Are there any unique mechanics to Planescape like there were with Spelljammer (i.e. ship combat?)

No idea if they'll dive into it. But I want them to address all the accidental portals.

The reason Sigil is "The City of Doors" is not so much "because it has a lot of portals" as it is "Everything opening shaped IS a portal."

Every door, every archway, window, two trees that touch and cross to make an arch... They all go... Somewhere? But require a key. The key might be a specific object, or a song, or thinking a certain thing when you walk through, or dancing a certain way, or emitting a certain scent...

The city is rife with the ability for a DM to toss players literally anywhere. I'd love to see that looked into more. There could be entire campaigns because the group found, say, a new portal that goes straight into the center of a God's domain, and now the deity wants them on board or out of the picture, the Athar want the same so they can move against the deity, one of the ArchDevils wants it to make an alliance, etc, etc, etc.

[Millstone85]

Tony DiTerlizzi (https://twitter.com/TonyDiTerlizzi/status/1688937378306719744) has now shared the alternate covers.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3BPl7NXIAAx9v-?format=jpg&name=small
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3BPl7NWcAAkAYP?format=jpg&name=small
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3BPl7PW0AAcYdz?format=jpg&name=small

[Brookshw]

Tony DiTerlizzi (https://twitter.com/TonyDiTerlizzi/status/1688937378306719744) has now shared the alternate covers.


Knowing he's doing the art jumps me from a 20 to a 60 on the excited scale (out of what no one asked? Good question)

[PhoenixPhyre]

Knowing he's doing the art jumps me from a 20 to a 60 on the excited scale (out of what no one asked? Good question)

Meh, if those are his work on the alternate covers...not particularly a fan. Looks...cartoony. Particularly the faces. For lack of a better descriptor.

[Eldan]

He's always looked cartoony, his main work is in children's books and fairy tales. I mainly like him because of exactly that, his characters look considerably more animate than 90% of D&D illustrations. It's half of what made the old Planescape products look so alive.

[Brookshw]

Meh, if those are his work on the alternate covers...not particularly a fan. Looks...cartoony. Particularly the faces. For lack of a better descriptor.

You're not wrong, but Im okay with it. Interesting to see how his style's evolved, though the original sketch style was really enjoyable for me.

[Millstone85]

What throws me off a bit is the two SatO covers' very different takes on Her Serenity.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/9/97/Lady_of_Pain_5e.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300 https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/4/4e/Lady_of_Pain_PS_5e.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/275

The alternate gives her an actual face, and a youthful one at that, while the standard cover offers only a mask, with some wrinkles.

Why, I daresay the alternate Lady of Pain is rather cute! Yet I prefer the one who could be anything behind that mask: an eldritch horror, clockwork, a bunch of squirrels standing atop of each other, etc.

Edit: That reminds me... All the art for the alternate covers is taken from the alternate DM screen, which the artist shared months ago (https://twitter.com/TonyDiTerlizzi/status/1640752967719481346).

[Eldan]

The metallic mask was the logo for the Planescape product line:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O44H7hV-Mfo/VaV5qd1ZRmI/AAAAAAAAEpU/Q1hNTSTILYI/s1600/248loplogo.jpg

Which looks more like some decoration on a wall or something.

When they showed her, it's never entirely clear if she has a face or not, including when Di'Terlizzi drew her:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a4be678a803bb1a5d98a50a/1515055662170-4RGZ8UVBTE4Z7R3LH7F6/LadyPainRef1.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdpkZnRLBVc/VaWg1sZ8E3I/AAAAAAAAEsU/ljWiL8iv1Dw/s1600/248lopp.jpg


She does look a bit too friendly on the new Terlizzi image, I agree. It also kind of fails at showing how huge and terrifying she is.

Edit: I also never really noticed before how in all the old artwork, she has a medallion of her own face around her neck. That's kinda funny.

[Millstone85]

The metallic mask was the logo for the Planescape product line:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O44H7hV-Mfo/VaV5qd1ZRmI/AAAAAAAAEpU/Q1hNTSTILYI/s1600/248loplogo.jpg

Which looks more like some decoration on a wall or something.

When they showed her, it's never entirely clear if she has a face or not, including when Di'Terlizzi drew her:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a4be678a803bb1a5d98a50a/1515055662170-4RGZ8UVBTE4Z7R3LH7F6/LadyPainRef1.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdpkZnRLBVc/VaWg1sZ8E3I/AAAAAAAAEsU/ljWiL8iv1Dw/s1600/248lopp.jpgIt seems that I and the artist for the standard cover held the same interpretation/misconception.


She does look a bit too friendly on the new Terlizzi image, I agree. It also kind of fails at showing how huge and terrifying she is.That too. Maybe she cast reduce on herself.


I also never really noticed before how in all the old artwork, she has a medallion of her own face around her neck. That's kinda funny.Like Deadpool's belt buckle. :smallbiggrin: